Two killed as building site crane falls on flats

An investigation was under way last night after two men were killed when a 50-metre construction crane collapsed into a block of flats in south London.

The crane operator and a local resident who was washing his car were believed to have been killed. No one inside the flats was injured, but a third man was taken to St Thomas' hospital with minor injuries.

The crane, which was on a building site close to Battersea power station, fell onto the flats just before 6pm, leaving a huge crack in the building.

The Patmore estate was evacuated and cordoned off and Battersea Park Road was closed to traffic. A spokeswoman for the London Ambulance Service said two men were pronounced dead at the scene.

Joanna Herrera, who was evacuated, said local residents had complained to the council that day about the crane's proximity to the block. "Apparently the council said it was safe," she said.

Another witness, Tony Ddumba, said he had been chatting to the man washing his car moments before he was crushed. "I was talking to the guy right there," he said. "I saw the stones falling first and as they fell down, I saw the crane wobbling and I thought something was going on."

Mr Ddumba said he had run one way and the man had run the other. "I was so lucky, it was a miracle," he said.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said last night that it was "relatively unusual for a crane to collapse" and that an investigation had been launched.

The construction company, Barratts, said in a statement released last night that it understood a crane boom had become dislodged in a tragic accident. "Our thoughts are with the families of the men who have died," it said.